City of Burlingame Rain Garden

Agenda• Location• Project History and Design• Rain Garden – parking lot• Drainage – storm runoff• Curb Extension – street runoff • Landscaping – California natives• Construction – changes in field• Financing - grant• Interpretive Sign• Lessons Learned

Location – Downtown Burlingame

Project Location

Project History and Design• Existing parking lot with on-street parking behind

shopping district

Public Parking Lot C

Existing ConditionsMultiple driveways

Original landscaping

Poor DrainageStreet runoff collects in gutter

Parking lot drainage ponds

RAIN GARDEN

Reconfigure parking lot with two entrances and 90 degree stalls

Capture 16’ x 160’ area for bioswale

Design for 4’ wide channel at 5”-6” deep

California native landscaping

Irrigation for first few years only, by contractor choice

Two boardwalks for pedestrian access to parking lot

Layout of Redesigned Parking Lot

Rain Garden Photos

STORM DRAINAGE • Captures runoff from commercial buildings and parking lot• 1.32 acres of runoff equals 0.25 cfs for a 30 year event• Designed for 0.43 cfs – almost twice the required C3

guidelines• Overflow to curb for 50 to 100 year storm event

Rain Garden - runoff

Overflow to street

Cross Sections

CURB EXTENSION• Captures Runoff from Street and Parking Stalls• 0.11 acres of runoff at 0.285 cfs – design for 0.33 cfs

exceeding C3 guidelines.• Treats overflows from center cell of garden as well

LANDSCAPING• All plants are California Natives• Includes Rush, Sedges, Carmel Creeper

or Ceanothus, Iris, Barberry and Buckwheat

• Tree specified was native Hackberrys - could not find and used Valley Oaks

• Irrigation for first few years only -contractor installed as part of 6 month maintenance period

• Use mulch that knits together not bark that floats Valley Oak Trees

White flowering Ceanothus Rushes and Sedges

Landscape Plan

CONSTRUCTION• Demolition of parking lot

• Relocation of lights

• Restriping of parking

Construction - continued

• Excavation

• Installation of rock

• Boardwalks

• Topsoil

• Landscaping

• Irrigation

Grant from San Mateo County Storm Water Pollution Prevention

Cost – about $270,000 for design, engineering, and construction

Sustainable, Green Streets and Parking Lots program

Vehicle License Fees

Managed thru C/CAG

Financing

Interpretive Sign • Educating the public

• Staff designed sign

• Ordered from the Web

Lesson Learned: Infiltration Test• Percolation test did

not work• Infiltration test did• Works like toilet float• Three tests through

out the site

Lesson Learned continued

Erosion along edge

Gutter debris into curb extension – use rock not pea gravel

LESSONS LEARNED

Infiltration test for soil drainage

Added one foot rock strip to deter erosion

Enlarged rock storage area in swale

Include maintenance period and simple irrigation system

Check on plant availability

Contractor qualifications in specifications important

Questions and Comments

Thank you